This is an age of advancement when
all movement is in a line of progress and primitive methods are rapidly giving
way to improvement, and when all natural resources are turned to account for
the benefit of man.It is interesting to
note the line along which progress is made and to learn of those who have been
most active in promoting the upbuilding of localities with which they are
connected.Associated with Calaveras County
in this way is John K. Pattee, who is living at Valley Springs and who is
numbered among the honored pioneers of the state of 1849.The experience of Argonauts who started out
in search of the golden fleece in the mythological days of Greece were not more
interesting and unusual than those with which the pioneers of this state
underwent in their attempt to gain a fortune in the newly discovered gold
fields of the Pacific coast.

Mr. Pattee is a native of Fort
Covington, Franklin County, New York, born on the 26th of September,
1821.His English ancestors on crossing
the Atlantic took up their abode in New England at an early period in colonial
development, being among the first settlers of Salem, Massachusetts.They took an important part in the events
which formed the annals of that historic town.Dr. Moses Pattee, the grandfather of our subject, was a prominent
physician of New Hampshire, later practiced his profession in New York and subsequently
became a member of the medical fraternity of Canada, in which country he
attained the ripe old age of ninety-four years.Joseph Pattee, the father of our subject, was born in the old Granite
state, and when he arrived at years of maturity wedded Lucinda G. Kellogg.They removed to Wisconsin and her death
occurred in that state, leaving six children, of whom four are still
living.The father afterward removed to
Dakota and in 1875 came to California, living with his son John for nine years
or up to the time of his death, which occurred in the eighty-fourth year of his
age.He had held the office of justice
of the peace in Wisconsin and was recognized as a man of intelligence and
worth, commanding the regard of all with whom he associated in business and
social life.

John K. Pattee, the second of the
family, pursued his education in New York and Canada.He was a young man when the news of the
discovery of gold was received, and with the hope of gaining a fortune without
waiting through the interval of a long business career he sailed from New York
for the Pacific coast on the Crescent City, but the vessel landed its
passengers on the Isthmus of Panama and Mr. Pattee
proceeded to Gorgona.He aided in hauling a lifeboat to Panama with a rope, a distance of
about thirty-six miles.Later he took
passage on the whaling ship Sylph for San Francisco, and the voyage was
successfully accomplished.One of the
passengers, however, died of the Panama fever and was thrown overboard into the
sea.After reaching the Golden Gate the
subject of this review made his way to Mokelumne Hill, in Calaveras County, and
engaged in placer mining on Two Mile Bar working for wages.Subsequently he went to Angel’s Camp and
followed mining at the present Utica mine, but with poor success.

He therefore decided to abandon his
search for gold and located on a ranch in San Andreas Township, Calaveras
County, obtaining a squatter’s claim, and after the land was surveyed he
pre-empted it.As the years passed and
prosperity came to him he purchased land from other settlers of the neighborhood
until he became the owner of seven hundred acres, a very valuable property, and
built thereon a substantial residence and outbuildings and engaged successfully
in raising stock.He is still the owner
of one of the valuable farms of Calaveras County.For some time he engaged in conducting a
little wayside hotel, where all travelers were made welcome and were well
treated.He was also engaged for a
number of years in buying stock at Los Angeles and San Jose and in driving them
to the mining claims of Calaveras County, where he sold them at a good
profit.He was out in all kinds of
weather on these trips and was exposed to many hardships, but his resolute
spirit enabled him to bear these and eventually success came to him.

He had stock stolen from him by the
Joaquin Murietta band, who took horses principally.On one occasion Mr. Pattee and two of his
friends started in pursuit of the robbers.They came upon them at Yankee Camp, but discovered that there were too
many of the robbers for them to attack and Mr. Pattee returned to San Andreas,
where he formed a company, with whom he returned to Yankee Camp.The band had gone to Anton, where they had
shot a man, but our subject and his company attacked them.They found a big Mexican riding one of Mr. Pattee’s horses.The
horse was shot and they and they captured the Mexican, whom they hung by the
neck until he was dead.The band then
retreated to the Phoenix quartz mill where they killed two men, and Mr. Pattee
and his company again attacked them, and in the fight one of the men was
wounded in the shoulder, after which the Mexicans retreated.Our subject and his party, however, could see
the blood and followed the trail in that way.One of the parties cut off his boot tops and threw them down and the
Americans picked them up.Continuing on
the trail they saw a tent in the distance, out of which a man ran.On reaching the tent they found the wounded
man still there and found that the boot tops fitted the ones which he
wore.They took him to Cherokee Flat,
near Angel’s, and hung him also, but the others escaped.Such was the summary justice which was needed
in those days in order to hold in subjection the lawless element which had
invaded the state, knowing that there was no organized government which could
prevent them from perpetrating their deeds of violence.

Mr. Pattee dates his settlement upon
his ranch from the fall of 1852, and resided there continuously until 1893, a
period of forty-one years, when he retired from the farm and purchased a good
residence, in which he is now living with his esteemed wife, surrounded by the
comforts and many of the luxuries which go to make life worth living.All have been attained by his
own efforts.He was elected a
justice of the peace January 1, 1895, and served four years, ending January 1,
1899; was appointed a notary public on the 26th of August, 1896, by
the Hon. James Budd, Governor of California, and at the expiration of four
years was reappointed by the Hon. T. C. Gage, Governor of California, which
office he is still filling.

Mr. Pattee was married on the 10th
of January, 1859, to Miss Margaret Lonergan, a native
of County Waterford, Ireland, who came to the United States in 1853, and has
been a resident of California since 1858.They have had seven children, all born to them upon the ranch.They were educated in the county and are a
credit to the untarnished family name.In order of birth they are as follows:Edgar, who is married and has four children; Leander, who was married
and died in 1892, leaving one child; John K., who is married and is a prominent
merchant in Valley Springs; Calvin, who died at the age of thirty years in
Central America; Joseph, who is married and has two children and is now engaged
in merchandising in Paloma; Lottie E., who is in San
Francisco; and Franklin B., who is in partnership with his brother at Valley
Springs, under the firm name of Pattee Brothers, dealers in general
merchandise.

For forty-one years Mr. and Mrs.
Pattee have traveled life’s journey together.They still enjoy good health and are honored and highly esteemed pioneer
people who have witnessed the wonderful development of the state as it has
emerged from a collection of mining camps to a splendid commonwealth.They have just pride in what has been
accomplished, and have every reason to do so, for they have borne their part in
bringing about the conditions which have led to the present prosperity and
advancement of California.